


Right Side of the Bed

by misseshermionemalfoy



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2018-09-28 03:12:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10067912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misseshermionemalfoy/pseuds/misseshermionemalfoy
Summary: In an AU where Sebastian and Clary aren't siblings what will happen when the road gets rough? How will Clary be able to help the two men she loves the most without sacrificing herself? Threesome/polyship. Clace. Clabastian/Clonathan. explicit and repeated drug use! Lemons.





	1. Chapter 1

Loud music poured from the speakers of Madison Square Garden. I let the music carry my hips back and forth. 

 

[ outgoing text ; S. Morgenstern ] I’m by the stage on the left I think the concert is about to end we should go.

 

When the concert ended and the streets were flooded with people it was easy for a thief to steal someone’s bag. Luckily I had my knife on me and just as I heard the last notes of Lana Del Ray’s song I made my way out of the concert hall and texted my boyfriend. 

 

[ incoming text ; S. Morgenstern ] I’ll be waiting by the exit.

 

I hurried to the exit as best I could, I’d had several drinks so my footsteps were a little unsure. Soon enough I see him, he’s standing there with a black fitted cap, dark wash skinny jeans and an LRG hoodie. 

 

“How’d you do tonight?” I ask him as he steps into the throng of gathering people with me, the exit of the Garden forming a kind of bottleneck. 

 

“Good. I’ve got so much money I’m running out of room in my pockets.” He seemed happy, giddy even but then again he  _ was _ high as a kite.

 

“Do you have any left over?” I ask him, I reach out and take his hand as we cross the street and head toward the subway. 

 

“ _ Why _ ? Do you want some?” He says, grinning at me. 

 

“I wouldn’t be adverse to trying some,” I say, giving him a playful smile. 

 

He stops on the sidewalk and we huddle towards the building facing the sidewalk. I look at him expectantly, hoping he’ll give me a bump of the molly I know he has in his pocket right now. Instead he starts twisting up some very  _ loud _ ** weed into a blunt wrap. “That’s not what I meant Sebastian!” I inhale and mutter, “For fuck’s sake, could that be any louder?” 

 

“Probably not but it’s good shit.” He takes out a bag of tobacco and mixes it in with the weed before finishing off rolling up the weed. “It won’t be so loud this way.” 

 

We walk down the street a little further and he flame licks and then lights the blunt with his zippo. We pass it back and forth between us on the New York City street and no one is any the wiser that I am currently higher than a kite and drunk as a skunk. All around it’s a good time. By the time we get to the subway I’m tripping over myself a little so Sebastian has taken my hand and we go down the steps a little more surely. 

 

The subway drops us off in Brooklyn and we have a pretty uneventful ride. I sat on Sebastian’s lap the whole way. 

 

It’s just a short walk from the subway to Jace’s house so as we come up out of the subway I ask Sebastian, “Can I borrow your lighter?” 

 

He hands me his zippo and I light up a cigarette. He hates that I smoke and that’s his problem, smoking chills me out, gives me time to think. We stand outside Jace’s brownstone while we both finish smoking our cigarettes and he flicks the roach from our blunt into the summer grass. When we’re done we walk in, take our shoes off and I take out my perfume from my bag and begin spraying myself. I hand Sebastian his cologne and he sprays himself too while he’s still in the foyer. We hear a wheelchair inching towards us. 

 

“Hey, guys. Don’t bother with the spray.” He coughs, “Jesus Christ what have you guys been smoking?” 

 

“Dank,” Sebastian replies, leaning down and kissing our boyfriend on the cheek. 

 

“How’d you do?” Jace asks. He’s wearing a navy blue wife beater and silver basketball shorts. He’s got a beer in his hand and despite the fact that it’s nearly midnight he seems wide awake. I lean down and kiss him on the lips, tasting the Blue Moon beer he favors heavily. 

 

“Good you want to help me count?” Sebastian asks. 

 

“Oh let me help count the money!” I say. He never lets me touch his money and I hate it. 

 

“Fine Red, get over here.” Sebastian says laying out three piles of crinkled money. Jace pulls up in his wheelchair and begins straightening out his bills. I do the same but I do it while I count. It takes me a few minutes but after double counting the notes I think he’s got nine hundred and ninety dollars in this one stack. 

 

“How much did you get?” I ask Jace. 

 

“Eleven hundred dollars even,” he replies

 

We switch off piles and I double count Jace’s pile. 

 

“I got eleven hundred too,” I say to them. 

 

“There was twenty-two hundred in my pile,” Sebastian says. Indeed, his pile is about three times the height of mine and I quickly recount his money and begin ordering them into thousand dollar stacks. He’s raised nearly forty-three hundred dollars in one night. That will pay nearly all our expenses for the month, not including Sebastian’s re-up**. 

  
  


“How’s the pain today?” Sebastian asks Jace. 

 

“Not awful. The phantom limb pains are what’s making me crazy.” Sebastian dug in his pocket and handed Jace a baggie of pills. “Those are for you. Keep them somewhere safe. I wanted you to have a stash of pills in case the pain came back as bad as it has been.” 

 

“Thanks, man,” Jace said pushing the pills into his pocket. “I have an appointment to see if I can get the bandages off this damn thing tomorrow. Clary, can you drive me?” 

 

“What time is it? I’ve got to work the open. Which means we should probably get to bed soon.”

 

“It’s not until three in the afternoon, so no worries there,” Jace says. 

 

“Ok boys let’s go to bed.” 

 

Four in the morning came all too fast, it felt like I’d barely laid my head down when my alarm went off. Jace groaned in bed next to me and pulled me closer. “Babe I got to get up.” 

 

“Can’t you call in sick?” Jace groans. 

 

“Turn off that alarm!” Sebastian growls from beside me. 

 

“Sorry Seb.” I turn off my alarm and slip out of bed, heading towards the shower. I turn on the shower and wait for the water to steam up the room. It’s almost physically painful to be up this early. My body is screaming to go back to bed. Finally, the old hot water heater delivers warm water to the shower and I slip into our shower stall. 

 

The hot water soothes my mind and I nearly fall back asleep in the shower. However, I have made provisions in case that had happened and my alarm starts playing screamo music at me. I can hear Jace grumbling over the music and I get out and turn it off. 

 

Dressed in only a towel I exit the bathroom and wonder why Starbucks needs to be open this early. I pull on a short sleeved polo and khaki dress pants. Starbucks has a pretty strict dress code and I despise it. Both my boys are back asleep now and they’re arms and legs are tangled together. 

 

I place a kiss on both their cheeks and go back to the mirror in the bathroom to put up my hair in a messy wet bun. I never have time to put my hair up on days like today. 

 

I dash out the door, checking the time on my cellphone. Chloe, my manager is proud to announce every morning at 5am that there is no such thing as “on time” there is only late and early. I tend to fall a few minutes in the late category because I’m not exactly a morning person. Nighttime is when I feel most alive. 

 

When I get in the car it’s 4:31am exactly. I doubt traffic will be bad and since it’s only about a fifteen minute drive with traffic I think I’ll be on time. I turn on my custom stereo that Seb got me and plug in my iPod. Drake comes through the speakers loud and clear and I turn it up to wake myself more. 

 

By the time I get to work it’s 4:50 am and for once I’m early. Chloe looks impressed with me. “Miss Fray here on time for a change?” 

 

“Yes, Chloe,” I say hanging up my purse and putting on my black work shoes. 

 

“Glad you decided to come in early today. We’ve got two carafes that need to be ready for 7 am.” 

 

For fuck’s sake. Who needs two 320 ounce carafes of coffee at 7 am? Isn’t there such a thing as caffeine overdose?  I sigh and nod as I put on my apron and adjust my name tag. 

 

The very first part of my shift goes by quickly, and by the time the carafes need to be filled with coffee I’ve had enough free Starbucks that I can say I’m actually awake. Free Starbucks is just about the only reason I took this job. With Sebastian doing as well as he is there’s really no reason for me to work. Still, one of us should have a real job.

  
  


I get my first break at nine in the morning and it’s a markout day so I happily take a croissant without paying for it before Chloe can see me. I take my now cold drink from the back and walk outside with my lighter and cigarette. It’s mid-May and we’re having one of our first warm mornings. I bask in the sunlight as the rays of late spring sun shine down on me. 

 

It’s not long now until I get out of work. I only have to work until noon. 

 

Usually, I would wake and bake** before coming in but I think it might have put me back to sleep this morning. A nap is in my definite future. 

 

I snub out my cigarette and finish my croissant and coffee, putting the cup in the dumpster. I send a text to Seb and Jace, hoping they’re awake now. 

 

[ outgoing text ; J. Herondale, S. Morgenstern ] Hey boys, rise, and shine. 

 

I wander back inside and slip my apron back on. Chloe eyes me wearily. “It’s a fifteen-minute break, not twenty, Fray.” 

 

“Sorry. I’ll set a timer next time.” I say, trying to sound sincere. If they’re only paying me $8.50 an hour I’ll take my damn time on breaks. 

 

My phone buzzes and it’s Seb calling me. I creep back into the supply room and answer my phone. I whisper. “Morning Sebastian. Chloe is here so I can’t exactly talk.” 

 

“Right that’s fine but I need you to pick me up so I can re-up. There’s another show tonight and I was thinking we could go?” Fuck, unfortunately, Sebastian’s line of work has to come before mine. 

 

“Yeah alright.” I look at my Apple watch and it’s only 9:30 in the morning. I have another two and half hours for my shift. “Could you wait a couple hours to re-up?” I hear Chloe shuffling around outside the door. 

 

“No, my guy is ready now. He’s heading out of town for a couple days so we kind of has to go now.” 

 

“Shit ok. I’ll be home in 20.” I hang up and get ready to grab my stuff. 

 

“Chloe?” I shout from the back. 

 

She pokes her head out, looking at me like I’ve just done something wrong. “I need to leave.” 

 

She sighs. I think she knows the excuse I’m about to give her isn’t entirely legitimate so she just says. “You know we’re short staffed today? The other girls will be down to a skeleton crew if you leave now.” Momentarily, I feel bad. I don’t really like the other girls so the feeling is fleeting. 

 

“Sorry, Chloe.”

  
  


I jog into the house and it appears Sebastian has a few friends over. Jace is reading and drinking coffee. This is a bit early for him to be up. All the pain medicines make him drowsy so he’s never up much before noon. 

 

“Hey, Clary!” Sebastian greets me. 

 

“Hey, c’mon let’s go.” I’ve left the car running and we don’t have much gas left so I hope he’s quick. 

 

He tugs on a bomber jacket, it’s still a bit cool this morning, and we climb into the car. I drive a red 2004 Audi A4. It’s not technically my car, it’s Sebastian’s but I do all the driving. We zip out of the driveway and into traffic. We have to go across town to pick up and thankfully I remember where the guy’s house is because usually Sebastian has to give me directions. That never goes well. 

 

I pull up and undo my seatbelt to go in But Sebastian puts his hand over mine. “No, not this time. I’m getting a lot and I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of this.” I wonder what ‘a lot’ must mean. We sold  _ a lot _ of drugs at the show the previous night so I have no idea what he’s talking about. For fuck’s sake we pay our rent in drug money! 

 

But I do as he asks. “Whatever.” He gets out of the car and jogs up the stairs to our friend’s house and comes back out with two duffel bags. He throws it in the back seat and buckles up. I can’t see what the big deal is. This is the same thing we do every couple days. The second duffel bag is extra from what Sebastian usually picks up but who cares? 

 

I drive us carefully home, making sure to stop at all the yellow lights, stop signs and mind the construction worker flagging us at the intersection as we get off the highway. Sebastian is always so nervous about driving with a shit ton of drugs in the car but I’m always the chill one. I don’t know why, both of us could go to jail for a very long time for what’s in the car right now. 

 

We arrive safely home and I pick up one of the duffel bags from the back seat and carry it inside. It feels like he’s got stones in the damn bag. Apparently the people that were here for breakfast have since cleared out, probably at Jace and Sebastian’s instructions. I put the bag on the couch and ask, “Can I open it?” 

 

Sebastian shrugs as if he didn’t care if I flushed the contents down the drain. “Stop it Seb what’s the matter?” He looks up at me, it’s the first time I’ve gotten a good look at him all day. The light from the window shines in even though we have the blinds closed, the late-spring sun casts shadows in the hollows of his eyes and I see what’s been making him cranky almost immediately. He’s in withdrawal. “How long has it been since you had any?” 

 

“Couple days. I got so fixated on the molly and how much money I was making, I just… forgot.” 

 

It’s not like him to just forget. He usually has a stash on him at all times. Sometimes it’s just a pill here or there but he usually has something. 

 

“Got the cart before the horse?” I say, looking down at him as he kneels down to retrieve the drugs in the first duffel bag. It’s a virtual cornucopia of illicit drugs. There’s a pound of several strains of pot, two ounces of molly, two bricks of coke and some bundles of heroin. The second duffel bag yields more of the same. 

 

“I’ve gotta cut the yay.” He says to me. He takes one of the bricks and a scale and rummages around in the cupboard for some baking soda. “Could you run out and get me some baking soda when you get a chance?” 

 

“Yep.” 

 

He takes out one of his credit cards and a knife. He easily cuts open the brick and lets a little of the powder fall out onto the clean table. He takes his credit card and chops the fine white powder into lines. He does a couple bumps of the grainy substance and I can see him returning to his warm self. 

 

“Damn I feel so much better.” Sebastian groans. He takes his finger and swipes it across the table and rubs his gums with the white powder. Usually, I’d ask for some but I’m not feeling like it today. 

 

I rub his back a little and I can feel the warmth of him. He begins to cut the coke and I wander into the other room. Jace is looking out the window forlornly. If I was bound to a wheelchair for the rest of my life I would probably be just as glum and depressed as Jace. He set his book down, marking his place. 

 

“Do you think we’ll ever be able to stop doing this?” Jace asked me. 

 

“Maybe. I don’t know. For right now it’s all we can do to keep our head above water.” 

 

“That’s true.” 

 

“We’re going to have to pay for your new leg soon too so it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” I said and Jace shook his head. 

 

Sebastian and I had met at Columbia. We were both from prestigious families but had both cut ties with them. My mother had gone off and cheated on my father, with a world famous book collector, Luke Garroway. I missed my mother a lot but she had her own life to lead didn’t she? My father was out of the picture because he disowned me when I decided to quit school. He’d been so set on me becoming a world famous artist he’d never thought that I wanted other things too. After quitting school I moved in with Sebastian and we made a go of having regular jobs and a pretty boring life. We did pretty well until Jace came along. Jace was Sebastian’s long time childhood friend and after a tour in Iraq he was pretty banged up. We told him he could stay with us for a while, until he got back on his feet. I ended up having to quit my ‘regular’ job to take care of him. I wouldn’t have done it except I’d fallen in love with Jace and we’d been sleeping together quite regularly. I think Sebastian knew about it but he never seemed jealous or upset. I came home one day to find Sebastian riding Jace in the middle of our living room. It’s not that I was unhappy with either of my boys, I just  _ needed _ them both. I had no other way to explain it but that we all needed each other. So here we were, three years later still needing each other and making a go of trying to make it out there. 

 

“I don’t like to think about this.” He said to me. 

 

“Don’t like to think about what?” I question him. There’s pain etched on his face and I hate to think that I might be the cause of it. 

 

“Us, struggling to pay the bills and me being a burden like always.” He sighs. His breath tickles my nose, it smells like spices and coffee. 

 

I looked at him thoughtfully. “If we really thought you were a burden to you think we would do it?” 

 

“No, especially not Sebastian,” Jace says with a dark look in his eye.  

 

“There’s your answer,” I say, giving him a wink. 

 

He sighs and pulls me in for a kiss. It’s the first kiss I’ve gotten all day and I must say it’s a bit late for this to be my first kiss of the day. Jace’s lips are soft and warm against mine and I have to say I was pleased. 

 


	2. Rain on me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian, Jace, and Clary go to Maia and Jordan's for pot brownies. Jace has an appointment for his leg. They go to a Jay-Z concert. Sebastian gets in trouble.

Sebastian gave me an aggravated glare. “I said turn back there!” 

 

“Back where? In the ditch?” I said, trying not to snap at him. 

 

“No! Damn, I am never letting you drive high again.” Sebastian said irritably. 

 

“Fuck you!” I snapped at him. 

 

“Ok, ok. Clary just turn back to the gas station before we catch the attention of some wayward cop. We’ve got a QP in the back.” Jace said pleadingly

 

“Fine.” Clary flipped the car around, making a U-turn in the middle of the street. 

 

“You’re going to kill us!” Sebastian sniped.

 

“Pretty soon that’s going to be my aim!” I snarl back. I pull roughly into the gas station, stomping on the brakes next to a black car. 

 

Sebastian rolls his eyes again and we wait for him to make the exchange. He comes back, hopefully, a few hundred dollars richer. When he comes back he stands outside my driver’s door and says, “Let me drive. We’re going over to Jordan and Maia’s house after this and I want to survive long enough to eat the brownies Maia made.” 

 

I glare at him, I’m not usually this bitchy, especially when I’m high but Sebastian doesn’t always bring out the best in me. I climb into the back seat with Jace and let Sebastian, my cranky boyfriend, drive us around for a while. 

 

I slip my hand onto Jace’s thigh. He casts me a wry glance. He hates taking sides when Seb and I fight but when he presses his hand onto my side I think I can figure out whose side he supports. “You two should lay off you know he’s just worried about you.” 

 

My cheeks flush, it hadn’t occurred to me that he was worried, instead of just being a dick. “I drive high all the time!”

 

“Yeah, but that was a big deal we just did. We would all go to prison for a very long time if we got caught.” 

 

“I didn’t think Sebastian did that kind of business?” 

 

“We’re in New York baby, drugs are a big deal to cops.” 

 

“Alright, I guess,” I say, Sebastian pulls into Maia’s driveway and I kiss Jace’s soft lips. Tomorrow the bandages come off and I’m worried the phantom limb pain is going to get worse. We haven’t been able to afford the costly trips to the doctor for his phantom limb pains. 

 

I get out first and prepare Jace’s wheelchair for him. Jace only needs a little help getting out of the car these days. Seb gives Maia and Jordan a warm welcome. I feel a little lighter now that we’ve offloaded the QP. The rest of the afternoon goes off without a hitch and we end up crashing on Maia and Jordans fold out futon that night. I fall asleep against Jace’s chest and holding Sebastian’s hand. 

 

In the morning we have to be up early because Jace’s doctor appointment is on the other side of town. Sebastian opts to sleep in a bit longer and Jace brushes a kiss to his lips before we leave. I help Jace get into the passenger side and he plugs his phone into the system while I put away his wheelchair. 

 

Softly, much too softly, I hear Future playing through the speakers. I hop in the front seat and pull into the street. Jace’s hand is on my thigh the whole way there. Jace, for all that I love him, cannot rap to save his life but he tries now. 

 

_ They wanna see me make the wrong move, bite the bullet  
_ _ See me whip up in that new school just like a bullet  
_ _ Purple reign,   
_ _ I just need my girlfriend  
_ __ I just need my girlfriend

 

“Jace, c’mon just listen.” I turn up the volume and giggle. His hand squeezes my thigh and I’m happy that he’s in such a good mood. We flip through his playlists and he makes shoddy attempts to rap his way through them, and I giggle the whole time. 

 

I pull into a spot in the back of the parking lot and get his wheelchair ready. He easily wheels himself in, my hand at his shoulder the whole time. I clear my throat to get the attention of the girl at the front desk. “We’re here to see Dr. Penhallow?” 

 

“Have a seat the nurse will be out to see you in just a moment.” The secretary, an elderly woman says in a bored tone. Shouldn’t people be more friendly in a hospital? I sigh and ruffle Jace’s hair. 

 

I pick up a magazine and lace my fingers with Jace’s. They’ve got Cosmopolitan and they have a fairly lewd article about giving head. I figure it will occupy me while Jace gets things taken care of. 

 

“Jace Herondale.” A petite nurse maybe a few years older than me says. 

 

“I want you to come with me,” Jace says. We walk over to the nurse and I ask, “Can I come in with him?” She’s absolutely adorable. She’s more petite than me, if possible, and she has the most beautiful almond shaped eyes. 

 

“Of course.” She smiles at us. 

 

She takes Jace’s vital signs and I flip through the article on giving head. I have no shame to speak of. The nurse leaves and tells us the doctor will be in shortly. I wander over to Jace and kiss his cheek lightly. “I hope it doesn’t hurt.” 

 

“I don’t think it will but they’re not going to be pleased that I haven’t been going to those appointments.” 

 

“Yikes, I know. They’re so expensive though! A fifty dollar copay once a week plus twenty at the pharmacy is nuts!” Subconsciously Clary wondered if there was a way they could squeeze the money out of Sebastian. They might have to eat boiled potatoes and carrots for a couple months but then Jace wouldn’t be in pain.  

 

“Still, we should be rolling in dough with all the business Sebastian’s been doing.”  A part of me wondered if that was a gentle accusation that there was more we could be doing. There was a knock at the door and I didn’t have time to ask Jace if that was what he meant. 

 

“Mr. Herondale, good to see you again.” 

 

“Hi, Dr. Penhallow. This is my girlfriend, Clary.” 

 

“Hi, Clary. I heard Jace hasn’t been able to go to the sessions we scheduled for his phantom limb pain? He really needs to do the sessions of local anesthetic and steroids.” She pulled on a pair of purple gloves and Jace showed her his leg. The stump was completely healed accept a bit of swelling. 

 

Dr. Penhallow looked closely at the stump. “I’m going to have Jace fitted for a mock-up leg. It’s just so he can get used to having the prosthetic. If you’re having issues paying for things you should contact the VA and I can direct you to one of the health insurance specialists that can sign you up for Medicaid.” 

 

“Is Medicaid expensive?” I asked Dr. Penhallow. I had no idea what it even was. 

 

“No dear, it’s free. You could sign yourself up too.” I nod, this sounds good to me. 

 

“When will I have the mock up leg?” Jace asks the doctor. 

 

“It doesn’t take long. They just do a few measurements and your leg will be ready in about an hour. I’m going to ask that you stay out of the wheelchair as well, when you leave today we’ll give you crutches. Try balancing on your leg as much as possible,  it will get easier the more you try.” 

 

“What about the phantom pains?” Jace asked. 

 

“On a scale one to ten, ten being the worst pain you’ve ever felt and one being no pain what’s your pain level?” 

 

“Like a 7. But it comes and goes.” Jace added

 

“Alright let’s try to get it down to a 4.”

 

“How much will his appointments cost on Medicaid?” I ask her. 

 

“Nothing, they’ll be free.” 

 

“Oh well, that’s good,” I say smiling. I wish I had known about this before! 

 

“Alright. Make sure you get to those appointments and practice on your crutches.” Dr. Penhallow said opening the door and leading us out. 

* * *

  
  


We arrived back home close to noon. I had signed all three of us up for Medicaid and we were all fully insured. Better than that, Jace was hobbling around the living room in his new leg. 

 

“It hurts.” He said as he overbalanced on his new crutches and nearly tipped over. Sebastian caught his shoulder and steered him back to his chair, making sure Jace didn’t fall. 

 

It was just the three of us in the house. It was kind of nice… 

 

“You know that concert is tonight?” Sebastian said. 

 

“No, which concert? We went to Lana Del Ray the other night right?” I say to Sebastian. 

 

“Yup, Jay-Z is playing tonight,” Sebastian replies 

 

At the same time, both me and Jace yelled “WHAT!?” 

 

“Yeah, I have three tickets. I figure you and Clary could go on a date while I work.” 

 

“How am I supposed to go?” Jace asked. 

 

“Well I don’t think your doctor wants you to stand through a Jay-Z concert does she?” I said in response. “We can take the wheelchair.” 

 

“No guys, you two should go. I’ll only slow you guys down.” But I could hear how badly Jace wanted to go and I wouldn’t have him talk us out of it. 

 

“You’re going, Jace. We wouldn’t leave you out of something like this.” 

 

“But guys!” Jace protested. 

 

“It’s settled then,” Sebastian said. “The concert starts at 9:30. I’m going to go down early to try to get people standing in line. You guys should get there early, the first 500 people there get to be in front of the stage.” 

 

“That sounds sweet,” I said. 

 

“Are you both sure?” Jace said. 

 

“Oh my lord!” Sebastian exclaimed. “It will be fun for everyone!” 

 

“Ok! I’ll go!” Jace finally agreed. 

 

“Yessss!” I jumped up and down a little. “How did you ever get tickets for this?” 

 

“A guy owed me money, a lot of money and he gave me these tickets to pay his debt.” 

* * *

  
  


Sebastian had said to get there early so I pulled into the parking garage at 9 pm. There were people all up and down the sidewalk, pouring out of little pizza shops that were down the block from the Garden. The parking garage we were in was  _ packed _ with people. Cars of all kinds rolled through looking for a parking spot. 

 

I got out and wrestled the wheelchair out and helped Jace into it. We found an elevator after some wandering and took it down to the street level. Sebastian was going to be working but we’d all agreed to have a drink (read: shotgun a keystone light) before the show. There was a seedy looking pizza store right outside the entrance to the parking garage. I fished my knife out of my purse as we walked. The area around Madison Square Garden was pretty well lit but New York was a dangerous city. We stopped in a nook by the pizza place, this was where they were supposed to be meeting Sebastian. I gripped the knife fiercely. We were all armed, actually. Jace had brass knuckles and a knife, I had my own knife and well… Sebastian had a gun almost always on him. This was the life we chose to live. 

 

“Ayeeee!” Sebastian’s voice shouted from the entrance of the pizza shop. His mouth was half full with pizza and he seemed to be burning his tongue on a fresh slice. 

 

“Sebastian!” Jace said happily. Sebastian kissed Jace and handed him a beer. He seemed to be pulling beers from his back pockets. 

 

“Hey, you,” I said to Sebastian. He passed me a beer and offered me a bite of his pizza but I declined. We had chicken and gravy before we went out. 

 

I was aching for a cigarette but Jace hated it when we smoked in front of him. “What do you say we shotgun these over there,” He pointed to the alleyway we had just come from, “And I’ll give you guys the VIP passes as well?” 

 

“VIP passes?” I wondered how much money this guy had owed Sebastian. We were easily into the 5k worth of shit this guy had given Seb to pay off his ‘debt’ 

 

“Yep. You guys can go straight past the line and someone will take you backstage.” 

 

“Damn that sounds good.” Jace agreed. Jace wheeled himself over the alleyway which was only a few feet from us. He didn’t drink much but we couldn’t bring our beers into the Garden so probably best to just have them now.

 

Jace adeptly poked a hole in his and handed it to me as it dripped. “Want to do the honors?” I put the bottom where he’d poked a hole in the side of the can up to his lips and count backward from three before opening the can. He handles it pretty well. I doubt he’ll have another though. 

 

Sebastian and I both shotgun our own beers and he hands us the VIP passes. This is all a little surreal? I don’t know what to make of this. We never have money to spend on big-ticket items like this. We usually break into concerts for free, sneaking in the back way or whatever. 

 

“Stay safe babe!” I say to Sebastian as we walk away. I run back to him and kiss his cheek sweetly. “Make lots of money!” 

 

Jace and I walk past all the people in line. Sure enough, there’s someone there waiting for people with VIP passes there’s no line and we both show our passes to the guy at the front. He hands us off to someone who walks us back to the backstage area. There’s free food and an open bar. I’m gasping for a cigarette and I can see a door that leads outside to a smoker’s area. “Will you be ok if I go smoke?” 

 

Jace smiles at me. “Yes, I’ll be fine.” He wheeled himself toward the food. I noticed as I walked through the crowd that the jeans and crop top I was wearing made me feel horribly underdressed. Everyone here seemed to be wearing elegant dresses or designer jeans and fancy shirts. I exited and joined the other smokers. I didn’t want to leave Jace alone for long so I smoked my cigarette in a hurry and came back inside ASAP. 

 

The opening act was getting ready to go on. I think it was French Montana. I wasn’t really here to see them so I found Jace and placed my hand on his shoulder and kissed his hair. “How’re you feeling?” 

 

“Not bad, a little sore.” He said, smiling up at me. 

 

“There’s a VIP spot for us to sit at when Jay-Z comes on.” 

 

“Do you mind watching the opening act? I kind of like French Montana.” 

 

I smiled at him, “Of course, let’s go.” 

 

We found seats in the VIP seating area. Not many people were there yet. There was a spot for wheelchairs which made both Jace and me very happy. I held his hand closely and kissed his cheek. 

 

French Montana rapped and the song made me sway back and forth in my chair.

 

_ And you are unforgettable _

_ I need to get you alone _

_ Why not? _

_ A fucking good time, never hurt nobody _

_ I got a little drink but it's not Bacardi _

_ If you loved the girl then I'm so, so sorry _

_ I got to give it to her like we in a marriage _

 

Jace was looking very pleased and a bit buzzed from his one beer. I was craving a bump of coke if I was honest. I leaned in to kiss Jace and he kissed me chastely on the lips. 

 

“I’m going to go get a drink.” I wanted a better buzz. One beer might get Jace feeling something but that was probably because he was some pretty heavy duty pain meds and one drink was probably all he should have, but for me, I needed several before I felt anything. 

 

I went to the open bar and requested a sex on the beach. The bartender was a girl, probably a year or two older than me. She mixed my drink and smirked at me. “Is the blonde one yours?” 

 

“Yeah,” I said, wondering where this was going. 

 

“He’s gorgeous.” 

 

I smirked back at her. “Yeah, he is.” 

 

She handed me my sex on the beach and I tipped her two dollars. I went back to sit with Jace and watch the rest of French Montana’s show. Luckily it was short so we didn’t have to wait long for Jay-Z to start. 

  
  


Towards the end of the show, Jay-Z did some of his older songs, which I was a big fan of so I had my phone out, taking video. But I was interrupted by my phone ringing, I didn’t recognize the number. I ran to the smoker’s area and answered it. “Hello?” 

 

“Thank god, Clary, it’s me.” It was Sebastian. 

 

“Hey what are you doing calling me from this number?” 

 

“Clary, it’s a long story but I need you to come bail me out.” 

 

“WHAT!?” 

 

“I can’t say anything right now, but bail is $5,600 dollars. I’m at the 17th precinct. Can you handle it?” 

 

“Of course! Hang tight babe.” 

 

“Thanks. I love you.” 

 

“I love you too,” I say to him. 

 

He hung up and I scramble to go get Jace. 

 

I have to shout so he can hear me over the music. “We have to leave, Sebastian is in trouble.” 

 

“What?!” He shouts back to me. 

 

“Yeah, we gotta go!” 

 

Jace wheels himself around and we make for the exit. I have never moved this fast in my life. I know Jace is working hard too because he’s wheeling himself along right next to me as I run down Seventh Avenue. We make it back to the parking garage in record time and I help Jace into the car. We have to go back to the house to get the money. God only knows what happened to the money Sebastian managed to raise tonight. 

 

I get in the car and pull out, and make my way through the city. Jace hooks up his phone and plays Jay-Z through the speakers. 

 

_ I'm from the school of the hard knocks, we must not _

_ let outsiders violate our blocks, and my plot _

_ let's stick up the world and split it fifty/fifty, uh-huh _

_ Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh-huh _

_ And sip the Cris' and get pissy-pissy.  _

 

We pull into the driveway and I ask Jace, “Do you want to come with me or you want to stay here?” 

 

“I don’t see what use I’ll be out there, I might as well stay here,” Jace says. 

 

“Ok, unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much we can except get the money and hope things aren’t too fucked.” I go to get the money from under the mattress in our bedroom and pull out six 1,000 dollar stacks. It’s what we were going to live on for the next month but we don’t really have a choice. I take out six 100 dollar bills from the sixth stack and stuff the money in my purse. I hate carrying large sums of money on me. I leave my knife here, it’s not like it will look very good if I try to get in a police station with a knife on me. 

 

“Ok, I’m heading out!” I shout to Jace I head out of the door. He blows me a kiss. 

 

I drive back downtown to Seventh Ave and the traffic from the concert is making it difficult to get anywhere. Finally, I pull into the precinct parking lot. I head up to the desk sergeant and ask, “I’m here to bail out my boyfriend, Sebastian Morgenstern.” 

 

“Let me look him up.” He types Sebastian’s name into the computer. “Do you know what he’s been charged with?” 

 

“No? I don’t really care. I just want my boyfriend back.” I say. 

 

“Ok, his bail is 5,600 dollars. We take cash and money orders.” 

 

I pull out the wad of hundreds from my purse and start counting them out. 

* * *

  
  


It’s a few minutes before he comes out. He’s got a black eye and there’s dried blood under his nose. “Hey, you.” 

 

He hugs me tightly. “Let’s get out of here.” 

 

“You’re all set?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

I slip my hand into his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I owned the lyrics to any of these songs I would not be writing fan fiction, my friends. Obviously I don't own TMI either.


End file.
